Yesterday we talked about faith—specifically the kind of faith which produces trust and obedience and the fruit of the Spirit. The key to this faith, we said, was an acceptance of the gospel as the most precious thing a believer can have. Saving faith is not simply a free ticket to heaven; it is a change in a person's heart, which causes them to treasure Christ above anything else.
We see that again here in chapter 9. The Corinthians have promised to take up a collection amongst themselves, to give to Paul to give to the Christians in Jerusalem. He assures them they don't really need a reminder to be ready when he comes, but he gently reminds them anyway so that nobody gets embarrassed.
Verse 7: "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." See, Paul does not want the Corinthians to be generous because they will get more in return, or because part of being a Christian means you have to give. For Paul, the greatest possible incentive for a Christian to be generous, is found in Jesus himself. Jesus didn't just give back some of what he had, he gave all of what he had! He gave his life so that we might live. For Paul, it is unthinkable that anyone who knows this Jesus could possibly be stingy.
Let us endeavor then, to be more like our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who considered it more blessed to give than receive. Let us give not because we have to, but because we get to. It is a privilege and great joy to follow the example of Christ, by giving cheerfully from what God has so graciously and generously bestowed upon us.
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